Metallic copper is a: 

Explanation:

Metallic Copper and Its Magnetic Properties

Definition: Metallic copper (Cu) is a chemical element with excellent electrical and thermal conductivity. It is a transition metal and is extensively used in electrical wiring, plumbing, and various other industrial applications due to its malleability, ductility, and resistance to corrosion. An important property of metallic copper is its magnetic behavior, which defines how it interacts with an external magnetic field.

Correct Option: Option 2) Diamagnetic substance

Explanation: Metallic copper is a diamagnetic substance. Diamagnetism is a property of certain materials that causes them to create an opposing magnetic field when exposed to an external magnetic field. This occurs because the orbital motion of electrons in the atoms generates tiny currents that oppose the applied magnetic field. Diamagnetic materials, including copper, have all their electron spins paired, resulting in no permanent magnetic moment. When exposed to an external magnetic field, the induced magnetic field within the material is in the opposite direction, causing a weak repulsion from the magnetic field.

The key characteristics of diamagnetic substances like metallic copper are:

• They are weakly repelled by a magnetic field.
• They do not retain magnetic properties when the external field is removed.
• Their magnetic susceptibility is negative, which indicates the direction of magnetization is opposite to the applied field.

In metallic copper, the atomic structure plays a significant role in its diamagnetic behavior. Copper has a completely filled d-orbital (3d¹⁰ configuration) and a single electron in its 4s orbital. The paired electrons in the orbitals ensure that copper does not exhibit paramagnetic or ferromagnetic properties. Instead, the material exhibits a weak diamagnetic response when subjected to an external magnetic field.

Applications of Diamagnetic Properties:

• Diamagnetic materials like copper are used in magnetic levitation experiments due to their repulsion from magnetic fields.
• Copper's diamagnetic behavior is significant in applications like magnetic shielding and certain precision instruments.

Additional Insight: The diamagnetic property is intrinsic to copper and is not influenced by external factors such as temperature or pressure, unlike paramagnetic or ferromagnetic substances.

Important Information:

To further understand the analysis, let’s evaluate the other options:

Option 1: Paramagnetic substance

Paramagnetic substances are materials with unpaired electrons that align with an external magnetic field, causing a weak attraction. Examples include aluminum and platinum. However, metallic copper does not fall into this category because it has paired electrons, making it diamagnetic instead of paramagnetic.

Option 3: Ferromagnetic substance

Ferromagnetic materials, such as iron, cobalt, and nickel, exhibit strong magnetic properties due to the alignment of magnetic domains in the direction of an external magnetic field. These materials retain their magnetization even after the external field is removed. Copper, being diamagnetic, does not possess magnetic domains and cannot exhibit ferromagnetic behavior.

Option 4: Ferrimagnetic substance

Ferrimagnetic materials, like magnetite (Fe₃O₄), have magnetic moments that are aligned in opposite directions but with unequal magnitudes, resulting in a net magnetic moment. Copper, as a diamagnetic material, does not exhibit this complex magnetic behavior.

Option 5: (No additional description provided in the data)

This option is not relevant to the analysis as the correct answer has already been identified as option 2.

Conclusion:

Understanding the magnetic properties of materials is essential in various scientific and industrial applications. Metallic copper is classified as a diamagnetic substance due to its paired electrons and lack of a permanent magnetic moment. This weak repulsion to magnetic fields differentiates it from paramagnetic, ferromagnetic, and ferrimagnetic substances, which exhibit different magnetic behaviors. The diamagnetic property of copper is intrinsic and plays a critical role in its applications, particularly in areas requiring non-magnetic materials with excellent conductivity and resistance to external magnetic interference.